Sports Management Program Kicks Off

University of Maryland students seeking to break into the sports industry can get a leg up on the competition with a newly launched Sports Management Program.

Beginning this fall, the 12-credit program represents a partnership between the Robert H. Smith School of Business, the School of Public Health's Department of Kinesiology, the Philip Merrill College of Journalism's Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism and Maryland Athletics.

Intended for juniors and seniors, the curriculum provides them with skills, foundational knowledge and professional opportunities, including site visits, fireside chats with industry professionals, sports industry-focused career fairs and sporting events.

“SMP students have an exciting opportunity to leave this program with a tangible way to show their knowledge with hands-on experience,” said Tori Shay, associate director for the program. “Our sports network at UMD is large, and I cannot wait for students to learn from some of the best in the industry.”

Program courses include “Sport and American Society” (KNES287), “The Business of Sport” (BMGT383) and an elective course that students can select from an approved list to tailor their experience to their career interests.

The final course, “Sports Management Program Capstone” (BMGT483), has student teams develop solutions for a real-world case study from a corporate partner in the sports industry.

They’ll use knowledge from other SMP courses to inform their proposed solution and pitch their findings to a panel of judges.

The first cohort starting this fall comprises 27 students. Recruitment for SMP’s second cohort will begin at the end of the Fall 2023 semester, with applications due in February 2024.

Shay recommended that first-or second-year students enroll in KNES287 and engage in Sports Business Society events to stay connected to the program they can apply and participate in the Maryland Sports Business Conference in April.